Monday, February 18, 2008

AVON Walk for Breast Cancer

I’m doing it again. Last year was the first time I participated in this event and it was amazing. I raised $2,005 dollars and walked 17 miles in one day. This year I hope to raise more AND walk farther. By doing some juggling and coordinating I will be going back for the second day of the walk. The drunk driver years ago may make it impossible to stay over night in the tent city but I will walk a second day this year. I’m hoping to walk 20 miles the first day and another 13 on the second.

Why I’m walking

I’m walking for Rachael Reppert. Rachael is my godparents’ daughter who lost her battle with breast cancer. She left behind two daughters. And with her passing I won’t have the chance to ever get to know her better. As children whenever my family went to visit hers she would get down on the floor and play with my sister and me. As little kids we really enjoyed the time she spent with us. Last year I promised my godmother I would carry Rachael’s picture as far as I could along the walk. This year I hope to carry her picture farther.

I’m walking for my neighbor Pam who is a survivor. Nice people like her should never have to go through so much. I’m hoping we find a cure and no one else has to.

I’m walking for me, because I remember how scared I was when I found a lump. In high school a lump pinched a nerve waking me up from a deep sleep in tears. A doctor’s visit resulted in setting a date for surgery for a biopsy. I arrived at the crack of dawn at the naval hospital ready to have the biopsy. By lunch the Admiral came by to check on me to see how the surgery had gone. He was surprised to hear I hadn’t seen my doctor yet. With in minutes the doctor was by my side explaining the procedure and within the hour I was being operated on. The surgery went quickly and the doctor sent me to the recovery room to wait. I waited for the results for what seemed like hours. If it was benign I would be able to get something to eat. I hadn’t eaten anything since 6 the night before and it was now well past noon. If the lump was cancerous I would have to go back into surgery and have all the surrounding tissue removed. And I waited. It seemed like forever by the time the results came back. It was benign! I could get food from the vending machine and go home. I was so thrilled. The bandages I had to deal with for the next several weeks was nothing compared to what it could have been. All I can think about is the people who have to wait longer for results or hear those terrible words that it IS cancer.

I’m walking so my children and theirs’ don’t have to dread the words ‘breast cancer’.